Am I old and boring (or are all the kids dressing like Brenda)?

I noticed a curious phenomenon today, and I’m a bit worried that the fact I noticed this phenomenon makes me (gasp) officially (swoon) nearly (almost faint but recover just in time to preserve dignity and kneecaps) OLD AND BORING.

I’m almost too ashamed to admit my phenomenon-noticing, because I’m worried it will make everyone think of me as a charlatan and a fraud. After all, I write Young Adult books. I’m meant to be “totally in touch with today’s youf, ya?” and up until this point, I thought I had a pretty good handle on things, but today …

Today …

Okay, I’m just going to spit it out.

See, today was MS Fest day in Launceston. MS Fest is a “youf” music festival, kind of like Big Day Out, except, um, in a footy field in the middle of Invermay, which is the suburb in which I now live (note, correct grammar, Mum! Are you proud?).

So, today, as I was walking from Invermay to my yoga class (first sign of gasp – oldness), half of Launceston’s under-twenties were walking in the opposite direction, towards their day of fun, sun, covert drinking and “chillin’ wiv da peeps”. Oh, and music.

As I passed them, at first I was just thinking, “Hey, look at all the kids. They look so excited. I hope they have an awesome day”, and remembering my own festival forays, to “Gone South”, a decade or so ago (I moshed to Grinspoon! I headbanged to The Living End. I cried when Kasey Chambers played “The Captain” … and then again when someone stole my yellow terry towelling hat and started throwing it around the mosh pit … sigh … good times).

After awhile, though, my phenomenon-noticing began.

And the phenomenon I noticed was this:

ALL OF THE GIRLS WERE DRESSED LIKE BRENDA WALSH FROM 90210 (outfit: short, high-waisted denim shorts, floaty blouse, bouffy hair, sandals or docs) and …

ALL OF THE BOYS WERE DRESSED LIKE GEORGE MICHAEL IN HIS WHAM DAYS (outfit: knee-length pastel shorts, canvas slip-ons, blonde-streaked bouffy hair, slogan t shirt).

At first I thought I was just imagining things but … no … no … it was actually happening! I had gone back in time to both 1985 AND 1993. HOW WAS THIS POSSIBLE?

So I need your help, people. Is this phenomenon happening around the country or only on Invermay Road on MS Fest day? Have the kids of today stopped dressing like it’s 2011 and started looking at Miami Vice and Degrassi High for fashion inspiration?

If so, for the love of Ganesha, WHY?

By the way, kids, I hope you enjoyed your music. I can hear it from my house and it sounds pretty good. So I mustn’t be too old and boring … right?

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5 thoughts on “Am I old and boring (or are all the kids dressing like Brenda)?”

No you are right, high waists and tucked in blouses, which only look good on tall skinny girls are back. I too am approaching old next week and I just don’t understand how it happened. I’m now relating to the teachers in high school dramas instead of the kids – wha?

I was in Launceston the other day and was struck by how different the youf fashions are there compared to Hobart. Late adopters maybe? Early? I’m certainly not fashion savvy enough to know.

What I do know is that I feel very sad when I witness all the kids dressing exactly the same. If you asked them, most of them would state that they pride themselves on their individuality, yet we’ve ended up with these clone armies. My gut feeling is that peer group pressure and the need to conform is huge these days, and it was bad enough in the 80s (yes, I was there).

And that would be a very sad thing because it’s not just clothes they seem to copy; it also seems to be a generation that believes they need to think the same, feel the same, like the same. I tips me hat to the kids that are brave enough to walk to the beat of their own drum. I know they’re still out there and hope they discover what the herd may not.